10 Facts about the Temple of Zeus

Facts about the Temple of Zeus inform us with the ancient temple dedicated for Zeus during the ancient Greek period. The location of the temple was in Olympia, Greece. The construction of the Temple of Zeus took place in the second quarter of the 5th century BCE. The temple featured the Doric temple. It is one of the models of the classical Greek architecture. In the fourth millennium BCE, the temple was constucted for Gaia, the earth mother. During the Archaic period, it was used for the temple of Hera.

Facts about the Temple of Zeus 1: the Dark Age of

The followers of Zeus decided to merge with the followers of Hera during the Dark Age of Greece.

Facts about the Temple of Zeus 2: the beginning of the construction

In 470 BCE, the construction of the temple took place. The completion ended in 457 BCE. The Doric style was noted on the temple. Libon of Elis was the architect of the building.

the Temple of Zeus

Facts about the Temple of Zeus 3: the design of the temple

Have you seen the picture of the Temple of Zeus? It was created with a frontal porch called pronaos. Moreover, the design was in peripteral form. The three unequal steps called crepidoma was used as the platform of the building.

Facts about the Temple of Zeus 4: the height of the temple

The height of the temple measured to the pediment was 20.7 meters or 68 feet based on the Pausanias. The length was 70.1 meters or 230 feet. The breadth was measured at 29 metres or 95 feet. The east side was decorated with a ramp.

Facts about the Temple of Zeus 5: the primary structure

The local limestone was used to create the primary structure of Temple of Zeus. It made the structure look unattractive due to the poor quality of the material. To make sure that it looked well with the sculptural decoration, a thin layer of stucco was added.

the Temple of Zeus Facts

Facts about the Temple of Zeus 6: the pediments

The temple had two pediments. A centauromachy with Theseus and the Lapiths was spotted on the western pediment. The chariot race between Pelops and Oenomaus was narrated on the Eastern pediment.